According to the data released by the Ministry of Public Health of China, cancer was ranked as the number one cause of death in urban areas of China in 1990. More than one million patients die from cancer every year in mainland China. In the United States, one person dies from cancer every minute. And in the United States, there are 3 million cancer patients, one-third of which will eventually die from this disease. At present, more than 100 different types of cancer have been identified.
Although operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are used as the main therapeutics, it is well known that the treatment of middle and late stage cancer is very difficult. There are many patients whose cancer has progressed such that they are inoperable. Furthermore, chemotherapy and radiotherapy do not always result in the desired effect. Moreover, these treatment strategies have serious side effects, including weakness, anorexia, loss of hair, inhibition of the function of bone marrow hematopoiesis, impairment of liver and kidney and ovary function, etc. After such treatments, patients often relapse because the immune system is extremely suppressed, typically for ten hours after operation. It is therefore pertinent that a new therapeutic strategy is identified to enhance cancer treatment as well as reduce the side effects of operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Traditional Chinese medicine has been used clinically for more than 3000 years. As a result, vast clinical experience has been obtained. Chinese medicine has provided unexpected and beneficial effects in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. However, it was not until the last three decades that modern scientific methods have been used to test traditional Chinese medicine and reveal that such medical practices often provide remarkable results.
Research and development of anti-cancer drugs from plants have been very beneficial. Advances in biochemical and pharmacological studies of plant-derived drugs have resulted in significant impetus on the further research and development of anti-cancer drugs from plants. However, currently available medicines only emphasize a single aspect of cancer treatment, for example, only for increasing the function of the immune system, or only for suppressing tumors, or only for improving blood circulation, etc.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved formulation and methodology for treating cancer, and specifically for tumors.